Hi! You know me. I’m Keira Gillett and I own and run Love Romance Passion. Today, I’m talking about something you might have noticed if you’ve visited the site recently or been hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. My book! That’s right, I took the plunge and wrote a story. Queue *oooo* and *ahhh* sounds.

My book is middle grade/young adult and does not include the typical romantic relationships we love to read and discuss on this blog, but my book does include some very special relationships. These are the familial bonds between parents and their kids.

So Zaria is adopted, an only child, has lovely parents, and is well adjusted. Queue the *horror.*

What will you write about without all that teen drama?!?!?

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Wait! Adopted?

Adoptive parents can be absolutely wonderful people. They’re not all mean. Just like step-parents aren’t all nasty. Or aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other guardians… take your pick. Fictional kids can be like real kids and come from happy homes and not from neglected environments (an oft-used literary tool.) I wanted my heroine to experience the same happy home environment.

As for the relationships, I modeled Merry Fierce and Zaria Fierce’s relationship off of my relationship with my mom. Mom Gillett is a cool mom if I do say so myself. If I wanted to play hooky growing up, she’d play hooky with me. If I wanted to be checked out for a lunch date, we’d do that and head over to the fancy establishment by the school (Taco Bell.) If I wanted to desperately attend a midnight premiere for Harry Potter while on a family road trip she somehow made it work. In high school, she let my best friend stay with us while her dad was out of the country. We traveled the world together and are the best of friends. So I poured that loving relationship into Merry’s and Zaria’s relationship.

The adults are all good people and yet the kids still get to go on adventures all over Norway to reach Gloomwood Forest. See parents don’t ruin all the fun! So how do the kids do it? Aha! Good question. Discover the answer in Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest.

What other books have you read where the adults are good people and have good relationships with their kids or wards?

Book Blurb: On her birthday, Zaria Fierce finds her usual path to school blocked by an ugly river-troll. At first she’s surprised and curious, but then Olaf threatens to eat her, which is an act Zaria could not in good conscience consent to, so Zaria counteroffers. A deal is struck and she goes to school, but Zaria is about to learn the hard way that one does not trick a river-troll and expect to win.

Early Reviews:

“With kids interested in “Frozen,” with Anna and Elsa, this would be a natural progression.” – Judi Oswald, Reference Librarian

Excerpt:

Geirr stooped to pick up some decent-sized sticks, and Zaria bent to grab a few too. They talked amicably and walked, stretching their legs, until they were too burdened by their loads to keep going.

“My arms are going to collapse,” Zaria huffed. Her breath fogged around her face, covering and then revealing a well-pinked nose and cheeks. “Let’s head back to camp.”

“Sounds good to me,” Geirr said and turned around to do just that. Zaria followed and collided into him, dropping her load of kindling all over the ground.

Zaria looked up from playing fifty-two pickup and saw what worried Geirr. In front of them was a wall of fog, thick, viscous, and impossible to see through. She gulped and carefully set down the pile she’d been working to gather again. Was it her imagination or did the fog seem to be breathing? It crept closer in stages. Not fast enough that she saw it while looking directly at it, but if she looked away and back, it most definitely moved.

Author Bio: Keira Gillett is a technical publications librarian, book blogger, world traveler, artist, and now author. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Drawing and Painting. From an early age her mother instilled a love of the written word, as such she has always been a big reader. Her first book, Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest, is about a young girl who must complete a quest to save her friend from a nasty river-troll.

Hi! Thanks for having me today. My name is Sondrae Bennett, and I write paranormal romance.

When I wrote my first book, Arctic Winds, five years ago, I never imagined the scope of the journey I’d began. How could I have known that a little novella about two people finding love would develop into a six book series (with more on the way). But the ideas wouldn’t stop flooding in. As soon as a new character was introduced, they began demanding their own story.

Then one character entered the picture who was unique in her own way. The heroes sister, Laurie. She never demanded her own tale, but always stood in the background…waiting. We both knew her time would come, but were both prepared to wait for the perfect time and the perfect man.

From the very beginning I loved her. She exhibits so much of who I wish I could be. Confident, clever, carefree, yet with a strong sense of responsibility and loyalty. Not to mention, a wicked sense of humor. She knows exactly who she is and what she wants. And she’s not afraid to roll the dice on the chance to have it all.

In Brink of Passion, the latest installment in the Alpine Woods Shifter series, she does just that. After meeting Max, the man her wolf has chosen as their mate, she decides to leave the home town she’s lived in her whole life and jump into the unknown. She knows it’s a risk, that her and Max might not be as perfect together as their shifter sides believe. Theirs isn’t an instant love mating, but the attraction between them won’t be denied. It’s a risk, but one she knows is worth taking. She pushes through her fear and anxiety about the decision and does what she needs to in striving for her happily ever after.

In a lot of ways, writing Brink of Passion has helped me grow as a person. It’s given me the courage to go outside my comfort zone and seek out new challenges and opportunities. Would you risk everything for love? Have you?

Excerpt:

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Drinks then?” Although he’d phrased it as a question, he had no intention of letting her refuse. Now that he’d found her, there was no way he’d let her go. He couldn’t. The beast inside him wouldn’t stand for it.

Taking her arm, he steered her toward the front of the hotel. Sure, he could have taken her to the hotel bar. It would have been faster, and more convenient. But the bar was no doubt packed full of shifters, and he wanted more privacy than that. He didn’t need a bunch of strangers, who would no doubt sense what was happening, staring and whispering while they were getting to know each other. Earlier, he’d seen a pub around the corner from the hotel that seemed promising. He pointed toward the hotel entrance as they walked and she nodded before moving ahead of him to maneuver through the crowd.

His fingers still tingled from touching her skin, and every nerve in his body thrummed with awareness. His gaze strayed downward to the swing of her hips as she walked, and he bit his lip to hold in a groan. No doubt the two of them together would burn up the sheets once he got her into his bed.

Soon. They both knew they’d end up there. Why deny themselves the pleasure?

She hesitated a moment, looking over her shoulder, as they walked out of the hotel, making him wonder if she were in fact with a man. If so, he admired her loyalty, even if it was no longer relevant. The poor shmuck would have to find someone else. He grabbed her hand, almost groaning at the pleasure merely touching her gave him, and led her down the street.

She had to feel the connection between them. The inexplicable pull toward each other. He’d never felt so certain of anything before in his life. Suddenly he understood the possessiveness other men displayed toward their mates. A part of him had always sneered at men who found their mates and ignored everything else. The ones who became so enamored that they professed undying devotion to someone they barely knew. He’d always thought those men weak-willed, or somehow kidding themselves. But now he knew differently.

No, he wasn’t in love with Laurie—he didn’t even know her—but he was completely and utterly captivated by everything about her. Love would grow. What they had between them was more intense and consuming than that.

As they walked down the street, more men stared at her, some shifters in town for the convention, but plenty of full humans as well. Annoyance grew at every eye he caught looking at her with interest. Laurie appeared either oblivious to the attention, or used to it. The thought of the latter irritated him further. Was she looked at so often that she’d become immune to it? Even women’s eyes were drawn to her.

When they got to the pub, Max pulled Laurie away from everyone else and into a secluded circular booth. Away from prying eyes. He scooted into the booth until they were seated together in the back.

Her scent drove him wild, and he couldn’t resist rubbing the tip of her hair between his fingers. Her eyes tracked his movements, her mouth opening as if she wanted to protest, but after a moment, she closed it. Pleasure filled him. Before the end of the night, Laurie would be his.

The smile vanished from his face as a waiter came to take their orders. The man’s eyes were riveted on his mate. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

Pure male satisfaction filled him when the waiter’s eyes widened in fear. He left so fast after taking their drink orders, Max was surprised he didn’t leave skid marks.

“Are you always this friendly, or do I bring out the best in you?” Sarcasm dripped from the words. He’d admit it, watching other men ogle his mate was awakening his beast.

“Not me. You. Doesn’t it bother you to have so many people making eyes at you?”

“Making eyes? What are you, eighty?” She laughed and the sound swept through him, punched through his frustration and brought a steady burn of lust in his gut. Low, with a hint of roughness that sent chills down his spine.

Desire burned in the back of his throat and pooled in his belly until thoughts of Laurie took over his entire being. With another growl, this time one of pure need, Max leaned forward and nipped the top of Laurie’s ear. Her laughter ceased, breath catching on a quickly indrawn gasp. Fingers dug into his thigh, right above his knee, until he released her ear, soothing it with a small lick before pulling back.

“I’m being serious.”

Her eyes stared at him in confusion, lust still clouding their depths. He’d be lying if he said the sight of her desire didn’t fill him with pride and no small amount of excitement for the night ahead.

After a minute, she shook her head. He could almost see her scattering droplets of bewilderment just as a dog shakes off water after a bath. The image broke through the tension from frustration and lust. He could be patient, because tonight would be the start of forever.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

She didn’t know. He could see it in her face. She wasn’t trying to be cute, or pretend innocence. She really didn’t see the way everyone stared at her. Somehow, that only made her more attractive.

Unable to resist, he tangled his fingers with hers and leaned his other arm along the back of the booth so that he could play with her hair. Then he began to get to know her in earnest.

Blurb:

He’ll do anything to protect his mate.

The last thing Laurie expects when she bumps into Max at the shifter convention is finding her mate. Certainly not that her mate can shift into a leopard. Wolves and leopards mix about as well as water and oil. Or should she say, dogs and cats. Mating him means leaving her family, her town, and the only home she’s ever known. But the possibility of a happily ever after is worth the risk, right?

Max couldn’t be happier with his brazen, feisty wolf, but returning home isn’t the welcoming affair he’d expected. In his absence, his brother has been attacked within the leap complex. Something must to be seriously wrong. Could someone be using his loved ones to get to him? When his worst fears prove true, his protective instinct goes into overdrive. Will keeping Laurie mean putting her in danger?

Brink of Passion will be available February 25th (tomorrow!) and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon

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Some decisions are easy to make, especially when it comes to the well-being of your mate. Even if the decision means ending the life of another…

Just when Shawnee thought her life would finally settle down, an unexpected visit from Vanessa’s family sparks an unraveling of a different sort. The visitors bring news that the Pride is in trouble. Dugan, a weretiger who relentlessly bullies the most vulnerable members, threatens to take over. Shawnee returns with Vanessa to her homeland and, with the help of Xany and an unsuspecting submissive, works to bring down Dugan before he dismembers the Pride. Can Vanessa stand up to her nemesis and restore the Pride to safety? Will she break under the pressure, or can Shawnee protect her mate from the torment? Shawnee quickly learns to draw on the strength of her pack family and with a keen bit of luck, may very well be the key to saving the Pride and her mate.

***

Max grew up just outside of New York City, spending most of her formative years outdoors creating wild ghost hunts with neighborhood kids, setting booby-traps to capture unwitting family members, and building clubhouses on top of ten-foot walls. Max wrote her first story at the age of twelve and titled it Circles of Friendship. Through the years, Max has written several short-stories and poems, all of which met the wrath of the “Not Good Enough” monster and ended in fiery demise.

Max regained her confidence when she began writing scholarly articles and research theses on her first trip through graduate school. It took several years for her to break the habit of the formal writing that marred her creativity. An additional Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing was Max’s biggest support in this. Max writes primarily sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, and Young Adult stories.

“Doctor Twofeathers?” The charge nurse called my name as I stood on the desk, reaching for a book on the highest shelf of the medical library.

“Yes?”

“There’s someone here to see you,” she said, her lips pursed in a way that tried to stifle a small smile.

“Is it a walk-in?” I hopped down from the desk and straightened my lab coat. It wasn’t everyday that I got caught climbing for answers. The look on the nurse’s face told me I hadn’t played it off as coolly as I’d hoped.

“You…could say that.” A wry grin lifted the corners of her mouth. “A very handsome walk-in.”

Could it be Mal? A rush of excitement shot through me as the nurse nodded toward the door. I followed her to the nurses’ station by the entrance of Stormhill Hospital Center’s emergency room. I’d worked here for a few weeks, part-time at the request of my pack. Despite the hospital administrator urging me to work full-time, it just wasn’t in my best interest. Ultimately, it was my decision. I knew that spending too much time away wouldn’t be the best approach to strengthening our new bonds. Even though I only spent less than twenty-four hours a week out of the house, it seemed like a lot more. The part-time position afforded me the opportunity to work on building up a private practice at the cabin. This made Vanessa happy and soothed by the fact that my work outside the house was temporary.

Waiting for me by the front desk was my mate, Mal. I tried my best to keep the surprise from my doctorly poker face, but I couldn’t help it, really. He greeted me with a casual hug, then held up the brown paper bag he carried.

“I thought we’d have dinner together tonight. I bribed Beth into telling me when you were taking your break,” he said, shooting a glance at the young brunette receptionist.

“Bribed her with what?” I laughed.

Beth turned in her chair, a cheeky smile plastered across her face. She held out her hands and Mal tossed her a giant wrapped sandwich.

“With food.” A grin spread across his lips, lending light to the stark curve of his jaw. The overwhelming desire to kiss him was hard to suppress.

“Thanks, handsome boyfriend of Doctor T,” Beth’s voice carried on a light chuckle as she set her dinner on the desk.

“She’s the best.” I smiled at Beth before waving at Mal to follow me. “We can eat in my office.”

My office at the hospital was a cozy space tucked into the corner of the first floor. The windows looked out into the parking lot and the trees beyond it. It was the first time that Mal had visited me, and I wanted to show him everything. He looked around at the charts and graphs on the walls, then lifted an eyebrow at the chalkboard someone had used for a game of hangman.

“The residents sometimes share the office,” I explained through a laugh. His expression lightened as I nudged the door closed behind me.

“Is it usually this quiet here?”

“Only after midnight,” I said as he set the bag of food down on the desk. Mal turned around to lean against it and smiled at me. His eyes wandered over me from head to toe.

“What?” I asked and followed his gaze, wondering if some sort of ER goo or hospital stench covered me.

“You really do look like a doctor,” he said, voice laced with surprise as his eyebrows flicked upward.

“I am a doctor.” I laughed and made my way over to wrap my arms around his neck. He gave a light tug to the stethoscope that dangled along my chest then used it to pull me closer.

“You sure are,” he said, and in an instant, his lips pressed to mine.

Relief flooded me as the soothing mate bond thrummed happily between us like an invisible strand connecting our souls. The heat between our bodies was wonderfully unbearable. He let go of the stethoscope, then slipped his hands under my lab coat to rest on my waist.

“How are things at home?” My voice seemed to sigh.

“Vanessa is driving Xany crazy.” He laughed as his fingers stroked along the waistband of my scrubs, igniting the familiar ache of desire in my belly. “When she tries to start a conversation or ask her a question, Vanessa’s responses are just totally weird.”

“Poor Xany.” I couldn’t help grinning at the notion. Vanessa’s responses were peculiar on a regular basis, and during heat time, they were practically unfathomable.

“I think Xany and Ana went to Imogene’s this afternoon to escape for a while. It’s been strange for everyone hanging around a feral weretiger that’s in heat.” His hands came to rest on the small of my back. The heat of him swallowed me whole.

“I don’t usually notice until she completely stops speaking in full sentences.” I shook my head. “Is Mom okay?” I asked, and toyed with the collar of his shirt. I couldn’t bring myself to query any further. My mother had been back in my life for barely a month before I started working again and, I had to admit, I wasn’t putting in my best effort to reconnect with her. What would she think when she discovered all of my secrets?

“She’s the most patient wolf I’ve ever seen.” He smiled.

“I know.” I closed my eyes. His chin pressed against my forehead. “Thank you for coming to see me tonight.”

“My pleasure.” With a grin that seemed malevolent at best, his hands dipped into my pants and cupped my rear. I gave his ponytail a firm tug when his hardness pressed against me.

“Is it?” I smiled. If my werewolf had taught me anything, he’d taught me how to play. And to take the bait.

Kathryn Leigh Scott, author, publisher and actress is probably best known for her star turn as Josette Du Pres, ingénue bride of reluctant vampire Barnabas Collins in the TV cult classic “Dark Shadows.” Her third novel, Jinxed (a Jinx Fogarty Mystery) (Februrary 2015), is a stand alone sequel to the successful Down and Out in Beverly Heels (Montlake Romance, 2013). While continuing her acting career, Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press to publish books about the entertainment industry, “Dark Shadows” fan books, and other nonfiction and fiction titles. She continues her acting career playing George Segal’s girlfriend Miriam in “The Goldbergs” and will appear in the 2015 mid-season launch of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

The old adage “write what you know” certainly applies to me, with my twin careers as a writer and an actor. My mystery romance series is set in Hollywood and features a veteran actress, Meg Barnes, who once starred in a popular TV series playing amateur sleuth, Jinx Fogarty. I began my career as an actress playing Josette DuPres in the classic Gothic daytime series “Dark Shadows,” which has a cult following to this day. I completely relate to Meg Barnes, who knows that no matter what other roles she plays in her career, she will always be known as Jinx Fogarty. Thanks to my role playing the fiancé of vampire Barnabas Collins, I will always be remembered as Josette.

I wrote my first romance novel, Dark Passages, with a wink and a nod to “Dark Shadows,” but made the ingénue actress a real vampire struggling to live a normal life among mortals. Of course she fell in love with her leading man, a handsome Brit actor not at all happy to find himself cast as a vampire in a television series! Yes, I had a lot of fun drawing on what was so familiar to me from “Dark Shadows,” but even though I drew on my experiences as a young actress doing a live television soap in the 1960s, the story I created is entirely fictional. Nothing in the plot of Dark Passages ever happened in the real behind-the-scenes world of “Dark Shadows”—and I certainly wasn’t a vampire! But how delicious to set my imagination free and explore “what if” I was a vampire and fell in love with a mortal. I already have the plotline for the sequel—and yes, despite the complications, she and her leading man are finding true love together.

I draw on everything I’ve experienced in my career as an actress working in theater, film and television to write the mystery romance series featuring Meg Barnes as Jinx Fogarty. Meg is a beloved actress who has enjoyed considerable success, winning an Emmy for her portrayal of Jinx Fogarty, and lives an enviable life until she falls for the wrong man. Her second husband turns out to be a conman and she loses everything, including friends, career, home and reputation, and ends up living on the streets of Beverly Hills in her “Ritz-Volvo.” She uses everything she’s ever learned playing an amateur sleuth to track down her fugitive husband and find redemption—and love with the right man, a handsome FBI agent, who at first suspects her of being an accomplice in her husband’s fraud.

I know the behind-the-scenes world Hollywood well, and the sound stages where I continue to work in such popular television series as “The Goldbergs” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” In my newly-released novel Jinxed, the sequel to Down and Out in Beverly Heels, Meg finds herself on the comeback trail with a new series—and facing an old adversary, who jeopardizes her life and a chance at redeeming all that she’s lost. I know how precarious the career of a working actor can be and I pour all of what I’ve personally experienced, from the bitter disappointments to the heights of exhilaration, into the fictional world of Meg Barnes.

Kathryn is giving away two Jinx Fogarty Mystery packages – each has a copy of Jinxed and Down and Out in Beverly Heels! US/CAN winner gets print (signed) or digital copies; winners from other countries receive digital copies only. Just fill out the Rafflecopter Form below to enter!

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Thank you for having me here again today. I was trying to figure out what to talk about today and then I realised that I wanted to share something special with all of you… an exclusive sneak peek at Book 5 of the Weddings by C &C, If You Want Me. I hope you enjoy it!

“This will change her life, and her husband’s, and I have no doubt yours as well.” Em brought up her hands and patted his. “Go in to her now. The doctor should be back any moment. She probably prefers family with her right now.”

Adam swallowed, dropped his hands, and bent his head. A life changer usually meant very bad news. Why the hell hadn’t he insisted Anna go a doctor sooner? His heart felt like a lump of lead in his chest. “Thanks for staying with her.”

“She’s a wonderful lady.”

Adam gripped the door handle. “Yeah, she is. There’s only one lady finer.” He went inside and sank into the chair beside his sister’s bed. Her skin appeared ashen, made more so by the whiteness covering her. He’d promised to protect her and here she lay in the hospital. Some brother he was. He slid his hand under hers and reached for his cell phone. He better call Robin and let him know Anna needed him.

The door swung open before he could dial. A tall black haired man strode into the space and halted at the foot of the bed. “Mrs. Bates?” he called in a loud tone.

Anna opened her eyes and began to stir as Adam leapt to his feet and muttered at the man’s abrupt manner. “I’m her brother and you are?”

“Doctor Goldmin, the physician on call.” His dark eyes scanned over Adam and seemed to dismiss him. Adam gritted his teeth not to say more. “I have your test results and it’s as we thought.”

“Okay.” Anna pushed her hair away from her face. “My husband’s been away. I had some issues at work and everything’s been so crazy busy I figured stress or maybe a stomach bug from one of my students. I guess I should have known.”

“What? Known what?” Adam almost grabbed the palm pilot from the doctor’s hands to see for himself as his heart now raced. “What’s wrong? What are you going to do to help her?”

“There’s nothing we can do.” The doctor shrugged and continued to tap the tablet. “I suggest telling your husband as soon as possible though to discuss your options.”

Adam would have preferred the other man take out a needle the size of California and stick it in him. Options? True fear made nausea churn in his stomach and turn his blood to ice. Oh God, not Anna, who’d never hurt anyone in her life and only wanted to teach and make children happy. Not his sister the person he remained closest to besides their mother. Resolve flooded through him as he straightened his shoulders. They wouldn’t blindly accept what some small town doctor said. Adam gathered her to him and just held tight. Her heart raced against his chest. Strong. He had to be strong for Anna and for Robin. “We’ll find another doctor, a specialist who will help you.”

“You do need to consult your own doctor. From your tests and the information you provided, I’d say mid October.” Doctor Goldmin keyed in something on his tablet. “Give or take a couple of weeks either side.”

Just over seven months? Adam wanted to rip something apart, scream until he went hoarse, anything to vent the fury and injustice of it all. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

So…have I grabbed your interest? Please let me know.

Mia xx

***

Once you marry True Love, then what?

Robin and Anna are back. The wedding is over, they are happily married, and living in Anna’s beloved hometown. Plus they have the blessed new challenge of twins. Sure, each has annoying bad habits, they’re seriously sleep deprived, and a few cracks have appeared in their unblemished marriage. After all, this is the real world not a fairy tale. Nothing will destroy this idiotic existence.

Then Robin is offered the promotion of his career. It’s perfect except it means a big move away from their family, friends, and home. With neither willing to bulge on the issue, the first major fight of their marriage shakes it to its foundations.

Then a tragic accident changes everything. Can this couple find their way back to each other and stay Stuck on You?

Mia Epsilon lives with her ever patient and tolerant soul mate hubby in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, USA. She’s an avid reader of almost anything but particularly romance with too many favorite authors to name. Mia is a huge Doctor Who fan and adores the new Doctor with his Scottish accent. She also happily suffers a chocolate addiction which causes her to visit her favorite chocolate store, The Chocolate Fetish an abnormally high number of times.

Mia can most often be found at her computer spinning new tales or in a quiet padded nook (a nook, she swears, not a padded room) with her e reader engrossed in a new story. She’s currently hard at work on her series ‘Weddings by C & C’ and trying to build its reputation from ‘just another wedding story’ to ‘OMG you have GOT to read this book!’ She appreciates all reader input and comments on her Face Book, Twitter, Amazon and Good Reads pages. Her released titles include: ‘Wedding Belle Blues’, ‘Take a Chance on Me’, ‘When You Believe’, ‘That Night’, and ‘Stuck on You’ along with a short story in The Wonderland Tales ‘Leave Your Hat On’.

Devlin Manning is a Hollywood actor. He has more girls throw themselves at him than he cares to think about.

And then he meets a girl that draws his attention who waits on him in a local coffee shop — and she disappears. All efforts to find her, to see her again, are in vain.

Then he sees her at the party of one of Hollywood’s most influential producers. Unfortunately Ray is connected to the mafia, and when Devlin returns later that night for his cell phone, he is mercilessly beaten. And how does it all connect with the woman who disappears again?

Later her friend tells Devlin that she has said (on a burner phone) that he is the only one that can find her. She is as enamored of him as he is with her, but she needs to be safe. So he begins the search in earnest.

I would call this romantic suspense, but there is really no sex in the book. If it’s going to be a gentle, almost unrequited love story, I was put off by him calling his member a c&*k. It didn’t seem like it fit.

This book takes Meg a bit further down the path from where she was dead broke because her ex-husband was a conman (now in prison) and she was living in her car because that was all she had.

She had had a successful TV series 20 years before where she played Jinx, complete with a magician’s hat. Now she is caught off guard to find they are reprising the show — but not with her. The young actress is surprisingly good, with an interesting voice, and a few secrets of her own. And Meg has been asked to give her lessons on how the hat was used in the old show and how it will be used in the new.

Then she goes missing.

Throw in an extremely irritating first husband; the wealthy woman who lets Meg live in her mansion (complete with paraphernalia from old movies and an old doll collection) … a young man who is talented as a film director who is filming Meg (who wants to further him in the business); a couple of detectives; an older male friend; … Jack, her lover, who is also with the FBI. He’s on a case involving sex rings, which may or may not be part of the missing actress.

And there’s a murder and attempted murder …

I didn’t see it coming (whodunit) … I suspected someone who wasn’t the one (good) …

The book was well written. I would definitely read another of her books.

If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “It must be so nice to do nothing all day and just sit at home!” I could actually sit home all day doing nothing.

America’s office culture makes most social interactions for a writer weird.

Them: “So, where do you work?”

Me: “I work at home.”

Them: “Oh, like, massage therapy or something?”

Me: “No, I actually write books.”

Them: “Oh…” *long and unhealthy pause* “Like TWILIGHT or like dinosaur erotica? I mean, not that I’m judging or anything, but is it angsty teen vampires or dino peen? ’cause I’m tweeting this and people want to know.”

Yeah, it’s awkward.

Of course there’s the people on the other side of the fence. The ones who know I write books.

Them: “It must be so great to be a writer and do nothing all day but create!”

Me: “Yeah, it’s really fun. I love my job!”

Them: “You know, I’m going to write a book too one day.”

Me: “That’s awesome!”

Them: “I can’t right now because I have a kid, and well, you probably don’t know what it’s like having kids at home. Or friends. Or a social life. But I’m way too busy to write books!”

*awkward pause as one of my four kids comes up to demand my attention*

Me: “Oh, those gosh darn kids. I can see why no one with children has ever written a book. Ever. At all. I may be lying…”

When you become a successful writer (or even a desperately-working-to-become-a-successful-household-name writer) people like to come up to you and ask what your schedule is. If you go to Google you can search for daily habits of famous authors.

10am – morning whiskey and eggs

11am to 3pm – write

3:15pm – adulterous affair with parlor maid

3:30 pm to 6pm – read newspaper

6pm – supper with other gentlemen of means

7pm – diatribe about women getting above their place and acting like humans

8pm to 11pm – objectify women and criticize their clothing

12am – try on women’s drawers

1am – dual with Lord Soinso on Parliament lawn wearing skirts

3am – fall in bed in drunken stupor

At least I assume that’s how all the literary greats lived out their days. They certainly didn’t spend them raising children, at least not according to their diaries. I dunno… there’s this assumption that men who write have a loving (possibly wealthy) wife who handles the domestic and wordly affairs while they commune with their muse (usually in the form of alcohol), and that women who write are either spinsters (looking at you Jane), childless, or older women with no familial obligations. This is based largely on the very outdated and misogynistic idea that a man’s parental duty ends at conception and that women with children can’t think about anything but diapers.

This attitude more than anything accounts for all the “I want to write a book but I’ve never found the time…” daydreamers in the world.

If you keep telling someone they can’t do something they’ll eventually believe you.

Let’s bury those myths and mountains, shall we?

Myth #1: You need to be independently wealthy to write

… lies! Most authors are either supported by a significant other or a full-time job, but very few of them are trust fund babies rolling in money. Some of the most famous authors you know were single parents and working poor when their first book came out.

Myth #2: You’ll never find time to write if you have kids

… lies! I four kids and I still find time. More to the point I make time to write. The real difference between daydream and reality here is that the people who get things done make the time to do it. If writing is important to you, you will find time to write, even if it’s sending yourself 15 minutes worth of badly spelled writing you typed out on your phone on a bumpy bus ride into work.

Myth #3: The only way to make money publishing is to know someone

… lies! Unless you’re talking about knowing yourself. That much you need to have. Know what you love, know how much work you can reasonably put into self-promotion, know your limits, and know your strengths. Line those up the right way and you can do anything.

Myth #4: There is only One True Path to publishing and it is __________

… lies! Self-publishing, publishing with a small press, and publishing with a big press are all fabulous options. What works for you isn’t what works for anyone else. What works for one book of yours may not work for your next book. Research all avenues of publication and then decide where you belong.

Myth #4: If I don’t have my family’s support I can’t write

… lies! Mostly. Listen, in April my 8th title comes out. Since 2009 I’ve published three novellas, four short stories, and in April my first novel comes out. Guess how many of those titles my parents have bought or read? Mind you, several of those short stories are free. Go on. Guess… did you guess zero?

Guess how many books my loving and supportive spouse of thirteen years has read (he doesn’t buy them because I load them on the e-reader for free)? He’s read two.

There are different kinds of support. It’s hard to write if your spouse/roommate/lover/kids/whoever shares the house with you doesn’t give you time and space to write. It’s frustrating when they question why you’re wasting your time, or ask when you’ll get a real job. But you don’t need them cheering you on. There are amazing online writing resources for authors of all ages. There are strong writing communities on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other social media sites (check out the #amwriting hashtag sometime). You can get feedback from writing communities like Absolute Write and Critique Circle.

In a perfect world your family would fully understand what you do, buy all your books, and expertly critique your work. In a less than perfect world you have to make do with what you have. Tell your loved ones that writing makes you happy and healthy, ask for 30 minutes a day (or make that time when they aren’t around), and get the rest of your support from the community of writers that is already out there and ready to cheer on new authors.

What does my day look like? It’s getting up hours before dawn (less impressive now that I live in Alaska), getting four kids out the door for school, entertaining the 3-year-old, walking the dog, dodging moose, cleaning house, running errands, volunteering for local charities, emailing people about a million crazy things, spending far too much time on Twitter (@LianaBrooks), making a to-do list before I go to bed, and carving out time to write every day, plus edits as needed. A majority of my day is spent thinking about books, but not doing any physical writing. I plot things while I clean the kitchen. I make up dialog while I’m waiting at the school carpool line. I scribble down ideas for scenes on my to-do list so that when I wake up the next morning I can write my 1000 words for the day without hesitation.

Next time you’re facing your Wall of Nope, kick it on down and remember that when you want something, nothing can stop you.

So, what are you going to create today?

Liana

***

Bootleggers, drug dealers, crooked cops, and dirty politicians… Chicago has always had a reputation for indulging in the finer vices of life. That’s why Doctor Charm’s favorite daughter found America’s second city so appealing—criminals are never boring. As second in command for the powerful Subrosa Security group, Delilah Samson finds opportunities to use her superpowers at every turn. Whether it’s stealing a priceless French painting from a mobster or stopping a drug deal, she’s game.

In fact, the only thing she doesn’t care for is Chicago’s favorite native son, Deputy Mayor Alan Adale, the man who made Lucifer jealous. Sinfully handsome, or possibly just sinful, Adale has been pursuing Delilah since she first arrived, and she’s been dodging.

When she finds ties between the new kingpin in town and a drug The Company wants to buy so they can create more superheroes, Delilah takes the gloves off. Teaming up with the spooky Spirit of Chicago, she aims to take down the dealers, the mobsters, the kingpin, and The Company. All without falling in love with the one man capable of capturing her heart.

Liana Brooks would like to SCUBA dive Europa (that moon around Jupiter), but with the NASA shuttle program shut down she’s resorted to writing science fiction instead. She likes southern beaches, warm weather, sharks, and striped socks.